The present invention relates to a water closet water saving device and, in particular, relates to a device for reducing the amount of water used during the flushing operation of a water closet.
In recent years, there has been a growing concern over the waste of one of our most abundant natural resources water. In some areas of the country, there is an insufficient supply of clean water to fill all of the rapidly expanding industrial, agricultural and domestic water needs. Further, in populated urban areas, wasteful use of large amounts of water causes overloading of sewage treatment plants. In some cases, this overloading leads to a discharge of improperly treated effluents into the water courses, thereby causing problems for downstream areas.
During normal household water usage, it has been discovered that a great deal of clean water is unnecessarily poured into the sewage system. For example, approximately 42% of domestic water usage is used in the flushing of toilets. The average flush tank of conventional water closets contains approximately 5.25 gallons of water. It has been discovered that substantially less water is required to properly flush the water closet and, thus, large quantities of fresh water are wasted during the flushing operation.
One prior solution to this problem involved placement of a barrier at the bottom of the flush tank to retain water within the tank during the flushing operation. Unfortunately, the barrier caused a loss of static head during the flushing operation, thereby resulting in an unsuitable flush.
Other prior solutions to this problem consisted of modifications to the flush tank or the flush valve control mechanism to reduce the amount of water used per flush. While these modifications reduced the amount of water consumed during a flush, they were generally costly and required disassembly of the toilet for installation, thereby, in many cases, requiring the service of the plumber.
Another prior solution to the problem involved the placement of objects such as bricks, plastic bottles or a flexible plastic bag filled with water in the flush tank to displace some of the water within the tank. In some cases, the bricks disintegrated after a period of soaking in the flush tank and the resulting particles of clay interfered with the operating mechanism of the tank. Further, in some cases, the flexible bag which was normally secured to the wall of the tank deformed during the flushing operation to interfere with the operating mechanism of the water closet. Also, both the plastic bottles and the plastic bag which in some cases became displaced from the wall of the water closet, were able to move freely within the water tank. This movement within the tank eventually caused the bottles or bag to interfere with the operating mechanism of the tank. Further, in some cases, the bag was ruptured and carried into the outlet of the water closet.
It is, therefore, the object of the present invention to provide a water closet water saving device that is inexpensive and simple to install in any conventional water closet.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a water closet water saving device comprising a container which is capable of being secured without external support within a conventional water closet to avoid interfering with the operation of the tank equipment.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a water closet water saving device which is adjustable to enable it installation in various sized water closets.
These and other objects and advantages are obtained by forming a water closet water saving device comprising a container consisting of flexible material and having one or more pleats formed in the wall of the container. The container preferably consists of a flexible plastic material and is preferably provided with a plurality of generally accordion-like pleats extending completely around the outside of the container. Preferably, the entire length of the container is provided with pleats. The pleats enable recoverable compression of the container along an axis perpendicular to the plane of the pleats. The container is shaped so that it may be positioned within any conventional water closet in a manner such that it does not interfere with the operation of the tank equipment. To install the container, the container is preferably first compressed along the axis perpendicular to the plane of the pleats to enable its installation without interfering with the tank equipment. The device is then preferably positioned at the side of the flush tank to avoid interfering with the operation of the tank equipment. After the container is positioned in the tank, the container will expand along the axis of compression until it contacts the side of the tank. This expansion biases the container between the walls of the tank and therefore enables the container to be secured during the flushing operation without the need for external supports.
In an alternative embodiment, the container of the present invention is utilized in combination with a second vessel. The second vessel is provided with means to enable it to be interlocked with the container to secure it in the flush tank.